About the work
Alessandro is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel to a libretto by Paolo Antonio Rolli after Ortensio Mauro's La superbia d'Alessandro. Handel wrote it for the Royal Academy of Music; it premiered on 5 May 1726 at the King's Theatre, London.
Plot
During his campaign in India, Alexander the Great loves both the Scythian princess Lisaura and the Persian captive Rossane. His general Cleto challenges his claim to power and his god-like pretensions, and a conspiracy against him fails. In the end Alexander chooses Rossane and marries Lisaura to his ally Tassile.
Cultural significance
The opera marked the first joint London appearance of sopranos Francesca Cuzzoni and Faustina Bordoni, whose press-fuelled rivalry turned the premiere into a society event. Handel deliberately gave both roles music of equal brilliance, and the opera was received with great acclaim.